In rich countries, more than 80% of the population today will survive past the age of 70. About 150 years ago, only 20% did. In all this while, though, only one person lived beyond the age of 120. This has led experts to believe that there may be a limit to how long humans can live. »7/05/13 8:00am 7/05/13 8:00am

Here now to provide a some perspective on the matter of mortality is a variegated patchwork comprising 188 of the world's countries, with each nation color-coded in accordance with the average life expectancy of its citizens. »11/28/12 2:46pm 11/28/12 2:46pm

Do you have a family history of exceptionally long-living relatives? If you do, congratulations. A recent study suggests that you may be packing "longevity genes" that could allow you to eat, drink, and even smoke like the rest of us and still outlive us all, living well into your 80's, 90's, and beyond. »8/03/11 12:21pm 8/03/11 12:21pm

By the end of this year, the human population is expected to reach seven billion people, just twelve years after we hit the six billion milestone. But how much more crowded is our planet going to get? Will we keep on expanding indefinitely, or are we approaching the upper limit? The current consensus is that we'll… »2/20/11 1:20pm 2/20/11 1:20pm

In some parts of the United States, medicine has not improved the average life expectancy — and in fact, the average lifespan has been going steadily downward since the 1980s. No, immigration is not to blame for these shifting numbers. These are U.S. citizens in hundreds of different counties whose lives are getting… »4/23/08 3:56pm 4/23/08 3:56pm